College Basketball Player Who Played For The Kentucky Wildcats

Terrence Clarke | Biography

Played For Brewster Academy and Kentucky Wildcats

• By Reena Chikanbanjar
• Update : September 14, 2021

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Terrence Clarke was an American basketball player. He was a unanimous five-star prospect and one of the top shooting guards in the 2020 high school class. He led Brewster Academy to win the 2019 National Prep Championship.

Who Is Terrence Clarke?

Terrence Clarke commenced his high school basketball career at Rivers School. Later, he was transferred to Brewster Academy, leading Brewster to win the 2019 National Prep Championship. After completing his high school career, he started his college career at the University of Kentucky in November 2020. In March 2021, he revealed he would enter the NBA draft. Unfortunately, he died at 19 following a deadly car accident in Los Angeles, California, on 22 April 2021.

Early Life and Education

Terrence Clarke was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, United States, on 6 September 2001. He was born to Adrian Briggs and Osmine Clarke. He had three siblings, Tatyana Gray, Gavin Clarke, and Madison Adrianne. Clarke pursued a degree in communication at the University of Kentucky.

High School Career

Terrence discovered his passion for basketball while watching games at his grandfather’s house. He then played his freshman season at the Rivers School in Weston, where he earned the 2018 Class B All-NEPSAC (All-New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) honors. 

He was then transferred to prep powerhouse Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, for the 2018-19 school year. As a member of the Brewster Academy team, he won the 2019 National Prep Championships, averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and three assists. He also led Brewster to the 2020 finals with a 34-3 record before the rest of the tournament was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also prompted Expression Elite (Mass.) in the 2019 Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, averaging 17 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.

Later, Clarke was selected for the 2020 McDonald’s All-American basketball game in Houston. That year, he was also chosen for the 2020 Allen Iverson Roundball Classic, where he became the co-recipient of the first-ever ‘MAMBA Award.’ In addition, he participated in the 2020 Jordan Brand Classic that same year.

Clarke hoped to put Boston “on the map” through younger hoop prospects. In an interview with Boston.com, he said, “Boston is a great basketball city. I really want to do this for myself, but I also want to do this for my community because (Boston) has never been on the map. Nobody would ever say, ‘Oh, (top) basketball players come from Boston.’ I want to be the person to make that happen.”

He was tabbed to the Sports Illustrated All-American Third Team. Clarke was evaluated as a five-star prospect by Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN. He was ranked No. 8 in the final Rivals rankings and was ranked one of the top shooting guards in the country.

Clarke had plenty of options to attend the best college basketball programs in the country, including Duke, Memphis, Boston College, UCLA, and Texas Tech. But he announced his commitment to the University of Kentucky in September 2019. “I’m committing to the University of Kentucky because basically just the environment and everybody that’s there,” Clarke said. “They have welcomed me ever since last year. I just felt the atmosphere that I wanted to be there.”

College Career 

Following his commitment, Clarke signed with Kentucky as one of the best prospects in the 2020 high school class. He made his collegiate debut for the University of Kentucky in November 2020. In his collegiate debut against Morehead State, he totaled 14 points, four assists, four boards, and three steals. He then made 15 points and a career-best six rebounds against Richmond. He made his following career-high 22 points with a trio of 3-pointers and added three assists against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in December 2020. Then he poured 14 points, three assists, two rebounds, and a steal against Notre Dame. He played nine minutes, scoring two points and three assists against Mississippi State in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament.

However, Clarke missed most of the 2020-21 season because of a right leg injury. Because of the injury, he was limited to eight games in his lone season with Kentucky in the 2020-21 season. He secured six starts, averaged 9.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He scored in double numbers in four of his first five matches and was shooting 49.1% ere the North Carolina game when he suffered his leg injury. He shared some duties at point guard before getting injured. Clarke was one of the leading scorers at the University of Kentucky before his injury.

NBA Draft

Following his freshman season at the University of Kentucky, Clarke revealed in March 2021 that he would be entering the NBA Draft to pursue his goal of playing professional basketball. “As an adolescent, having the privilege to put on the Kentucky uniform and play in front of the BBN was always a lifelong goal of mine,” Clarke said. “Although it was hindered due to things out of my own control, the experience is something I will keep with me forever. I have grown a lot with this experience and I will never take it for granted. ... Thank you to Coach Cal, the coaching staff, and my teammates! BBN, I hope to make you all proud as I pursue my dreams.” He signed with Klutch Sports Group for the NBA Draft just a day before his death.

Accident and Death

Clarke died at age 19, following fatal injuries from a car crash in Los Angeles, California, on 22 April 2021. The accident took place when Clarke ran a red light while driving his car at a top speed. “The incident was captured on surveillance video. He collided with another vehicle that was preparing to make a left-hand turn. He struck the vehicle, hit a street light pole, and ultimately hit a block wall,” Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. John Matassa said while describing the collision. “He was transported to Northridge Hospital and was later pronounced deceased as a result of the collision.”

Did You Know?

• Clarke was 6 foot 7 inches tall.
• Clarke’s most memorable moment as a basketball player was winning his first national championship.
• His favorite foods were macaroni and cheese.
• His mother influenced him the most in his life.
• As a kid, he played Caribbean pan.
• Fast and Furious series was his favorite movie.
• Once he forgot his No. 6 jersey before a game, and he had to wear No. 5. After he played well in No. 5, he continued wearing the No. 5 jersey.
• Tyler Herro, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Hamidou Diallo were some of his favorite former UK players.
• He chose Kentucky over Duke, Memphis, Texas Tech, UCLA, Connecticut, and Boston College.